Minnie E. O'Hara: The Woman Behind The Camera

THROWBACK THURSDAY/ AUGUST 13TH, 2020

Today we are going to take a look at the life of Minnie E. O’Hara and her legacy within the O’Hara family and the community.

Minnie E. O’Hara was born in 1863 and was the oldest daughter of James Jr. and his wife Mary Jane (Lear) O’Hara.

Minnie never married and spent much of her life living on the homestead with her older brother Frank and his family.

Like many of the O’Hara women, Minnie had great talent and a love for all things musical. She spent many years teaching music lessons to a number of children in Madoc. In her youth she attended Albert College.

Minnie was well recognized in Madoc not just for her music lessons but also as she was known to ride her bike frequently through the village.

Living on the Homestead with her brother meant that Minnie was a large part of the lives of him and his family. Minnie was affectionately known as “Aunt Min” and was greatly involved in the day to day life on the farm.

Minnie had quite the talent for photography and acted as the family photographer. Many of the family photos that we have from her time period were taken by her using a tripod and with a black cloth over her head.

Minnie died in 1945 and was the last of her generation of O’Hara’s. Her legacy within the family and the community is one that lives on through the connections she made and her wonderful photography that allows us today to see into the lives of the O’Hara family.